 |  | | Beowulf |
Review #566 of 365
Movie Review of Beowulf (2007) [PG-13] 113 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $13.25
Where Viewed: United Artists Colorado Center 9 & IMAX, Denver, CO
When 1st Seen: 15 November 2007
Time: 9:30 pm
DVD Release Date: 26 February 2008 (click date to purchase or pre-order)
Film's Official Website • Film's Trailer
Soundtrack: Download now from 
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Directed by: Robert Zemeckis (The Polar Express)
Screenplay by: Neil Gaiman (Stardust) • Roger Avary (Silent Hill) based on the Anonymous epic poem "Beowulf"
Featured Voice Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Ray Winstone (Breaking and Entering) • Anthony Hopkins (Fracture) • John Malkovich (Eragon) • Robin Wright Penn (Breaking and Entering) • Brendan Gleeson (HP: Order of the Phoenix) • Crispin Glover (Epic Movie) • Alison Lohman (Things We Lost in the Fire) • Angelina Jolie (The Good Shepherd)
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
Click to see photos from the Premiere of Beowulf
Click to read the spoiler points for Beowulf
"… a stunning cinematic achievement and experience in 3D IMAX®. It probably shouldn't be seen any other way."
In this version, the tale opens with King Hrothgar (voiced by Sir Anthony Hopkins) and his minions celebrating in his new Great Hall with merriment and mead. Unfortunately, the noise and good fun attracts the creature Grendel (voiced by Crispin Glover) who comes to terrorize and shut up the party. Looking like the by-product of spawn formed in a toxic waste dump with bulbous flesh, open sores, and ghastly wounds, the troll-like giant is virtually invincible. He kills several men before hauling a body back to his underground cave lair. His mother congratulates him on his spoils. The massacre prompts the aging, doughy king to call upon the world to bring his people a hero capable of slaying his nemesis in exchange for half the gold in his kingdom. Across the sea, the great Geat warrior Beowulf (voiced by Ray Winstone) who subsequently arrives to slay the beast. Hrothgar knew Beowulf's father well, and is thrilled he's accepted this challenge. Upon first setting eyes upon Hrothgar's Queen Welthow (voiced by Robin Wright Penn) Beowulf feels an instant connection. He also realizes that Hrothgar is but using her to produce an heir. At a huge celebration that night designed to attract Grendel and lure him to his slaughter by Beowulf's men, he stares into her passionate eyes longingly. After the king retires and she sings them one more soulful song, Beowulf strips down to his birthday suit determined to fight Grendel fairly in similar states of undress. Eventually, the monster arrives and Beowulf must use his skills and brains to defeat the monster resulting in the severing of one of his arms as a trophy. The story then manages to take on some interesting side steps and alterations to the mythology (see the spoiler for more precise details), while maintaining some adherence to the original three part structure of battles: one with Grendel, one with Grendel's mother, and one with a fiery dragon. The themes of the emergence and spreading of Christianity north are also maintained with the king's advisor Unferth (voiced by John Malkovich) reminding everyone that perhaps prayers to the Christian God would help as well.
Normally, in animated films, no one talks about the acting really. There isn't any acting, there's just great or not so great animation. But, in this case, it does seem more like a logical topic in reference to the film because of the realism. So, for what it's worth in the animated sense of it, Ray Winstone's Beowulf is incredible. And with all due respect to one of Robert Zemeckis's previously ranked "sexiest cartoon character ever" Ms Jessica Rabbit, Beowulf is certainly her new male rival. Those curious with how he might take on Grendel in naked cage fighter style might like to know that the truly curious of Beowulf's total physique will be disappointed by all manners of objects placed to prevent sighting his full manhood keeping the film in the rated PG-13 category. No doubt You Tubers™ will find ways around this once the DVD comes out for those who found themselves trying to peak around the 3D objects during the film. Not to belabor the point of Beowulf's lack of costuming during this legendary battle, but what it does do is show off the animation techniques as the animators are able to very precisely replicate the true human form in its natural state. The result is a surprisingly effective battle what works on a number of levels the most important of which is in fully illuminating the depths of Beowulf's ego. Meanwhile, the animated versions of John Malkovich and Angelina Jolie were nearly as good as the real thing. Hrothgar would have been great, were it not for the fact that he just seemed too dough and chubby, almost more like the Pillsbury® Dough Boy than a real king. The women, with the extreme exception of Grendel's mother, were generally did not appear to have been animated with quite the same degree of care as the men.
Technically, visually, Beowulf leaps to the forefront of the technology and in allowing a filmmaker to directly convert or translate his or her imagination into reality. The possibilities are limitless. No one has yet used the technique to make a regular dramatic love story, and most of us will hope they never do. Just use real people for goodness sake.
"… leaps to the forefront of the technology and in allowing a filmmaker to directly convert or translate his or her imagination into reality."
Alternate Posters
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Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Other Projects Featuring Beowulf (2007)
Cast Members
Ray Winstone
• Anthony Hopkins • John MalkovichRobin Wright Penn
• Brendan Gleeson • Crispin GloverAlison Lohman
• Angelina JolieDirector
Robert Zemeckis
Writers
Neil Gaiman
• Roger Avary| Book | CD Soundtrack | DVD |
| VHS | Video Games | Models |
| 2005 Version DVD |
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